The advent of computers has brought about the need for improved keyboards supports. The time spent by individuals using keyboards has substantially increased with the increased use of personal computers throughout our nation and the world. Personal computers are currently deemed indispensable in business, commercial or professional environments, and most offices are equipped with personal computers for word processing and data storage. PC's are currently found in one-third of the households in America. It is estimated that eighty percent of homes across the United States will have personal computers within the next several years.
Some occupations require spending the entire day at the keyboard. The constant, repetitive hand, wrist and forearm movements can irritate the nerves which radiate between the radius and ulna in the wrist. The potential for nerve irritation is increased because the keyboard is ordinarily slanted upward toward the user; the user's hands reach upward for the keys and the wrists are stretched upward. The nerve irritation can result in repetitive strain injuries, most commonly carpal tunnel syndrome.
The potential for incurring such strain injuries can be diminished by an adjustable tray for positioning the keyboard to slope away from the user.
A solution for avoiding neck and back strains, which may be incurred because the user must look downward at the data for entry, is a copystand integral with the keyboard tray to allow the user to sit upright with back and neck in straightened position.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a keyboard tray assembly to retain a keyboard in position sloping downward from the user.
Another object of the invention is to make the keyboard tray adjustable, so that the user can fix the keyboard in the most comfortable position.
A further object of the invention is to provide an upright copystand designed to be integral with the keyboard tray, thereby eliminating the tendency for the user to hunch over while entering data.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a keyboard support or tray which is collapsible to an essentially flattened arrangement for storage of the keyboard and tray.